Caught In The Middle
by LightningStrike83
Summary: Two souls, one body. This a challenge that Tea has to face with her boyfriend, and a stir between the two souls leaves her caught in the middle. Yugi x Tea x Yami Yugi/The Pharaoh/Atem. Oneshot.


**Author's Note:** Hey everyone~ I wrote this as a gift for my friend ShadowedLove97~ She wanted a fic of her OT3 (Tea/Yugi/Pharaoh) and this is what I came up with~ Hope y'all enjoy it as much as she did! :D

* * *

"Where is he? Urgh, come on, where is he?" I spoke out loud, my patience beginning to fade as I waited for my guest to arrive. I stared outside the window of the café I was in, watching the people walk by. I spotted a few couples, holding hands as they passed by. I thought watching the cityscape would ease my mind, but it only made me worse.

My name's Tea Gardner. I'm a student at Domino High School, but if you think my life is ordinary, it's anything but. Thanks to my friends, Yugi Mutou, Joey Wheeler, and Tristan Taylor, my life will always be full of excitement that usually results with saving people that have had their souls stolen or saving the world. I can't tell you how many times that's happened to us, but we've always pulled through with the power of friendship!

But today though, none of that was going on. It was just a day for us to relax and take it easy. I thought I'd spend this relaxing Saturday afternoon with my boyfriend, but apparently he has something else on his agenda.

Without initially realizing it, I noticed that I was tapping my foot on the ground that made a noticeable noise echo throughout the café. Once I caught myself, I stopped but the damage had been done. I felt so embarrassed! I just can't take waiting anymore!

I checked my phone for a message from him, but there was nothing. I saw that the time was half an hour past the time we agreed to meet up at. I can't hang around anymore. Partners aren't supposed to do this to each other, at least not without some type of message!

After letting out a sigh, I grabbed my purse and got up, ready to leave this place for good. However, the doors to the café swung open in that instant, and I noticed that the person entering had spiky hair with blonde, red, and black highlights. I knew immediately who it was. I sat back down and waited for him to join me.

He looked around, and finally spotted me. He waved at me, but I turned away. Honestly, I'm pretty upset that he kept me waiting for as long as he did and I wanted him to know it.

He came over and sat down in the seat across from me. I greeted him by saying "Well look who decided to show up."

"My apologies Tea." he replied. "I was running late because of a dispute and I didn't have much time to inform you."

"A dispute? Are you…" Before I could finish that thought, I began to remember an incident that happened the night before. I examined his face to see if it was what I suspected or not. Once I made eye contact with him, he turned away. I could tell he was feeling shameful. I sighed in response. "You mean you two still haven't settled it?"

He was silent for a moment, before he responded once more. "I'm afraid not."

I began to hold my head, softly shaking it in between my fingertips. "Honestly, the two of you can be so immature at times."

Here's the deal: you see, my boyfriend is none other than my long-time friend, Yugi Mutou. There's a problem however, my boyfriend isn't just him. He always carries around a puzzle in the shape of an upside down pyramid with him, and deep within that puzzle is the spirit of an ancient Pharaoh from over 5000 years ago. Both Yugi and the Pharaoh are linked but they also share the same body. So when you think about it, I'm only really dating one body but dating two different souls.

I remember when the three of us got together. It was late into the afternoon, the sun was beginning to set. I was racing home so that I'd be back before dark, but on the route home, I saw Yugi and met up with him. As it turns out, he was waiting for me. When I questioned him why, he became very flustered and nervous, his knees shaking which made me worry slightly. It was at that moment when The Pharaoh took over and began explaining to me that both he and Yugi wanted to start up a relationship with me.

At the time, I was flustered and didn't know what to say. If I'm to be honest, I liked them both. Yugi has always been my long-time friend and I admired his kind and innocent heart. However, there's something about The Pharaoh's maturity and wisdom that attracts me to him also.

At the time, I couldn't tell them which one I liked more because I couldn't give an honest and straight answer. As well, I didn't want to hurt the other's feelings. We're all friends and I didn't want to ruin it. However, they proposed a solution that we decided to try out. Since they share the same body, Yugi would be my boyfriend every Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, and The Pharaoh would be my boyfriend every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with them taking alternate Sundays every other week. It was a rather strange proposal, but I wanted to give it a shot. I had always loved the both of them and didn't want to miss out on the opportunity.

It was going well, at first. Each day felt like a new experience to me and my affections for each of them grew. However, last night caused a stir in Yugi and The Pharaoh's relationship. I stayed over late last night, to watch a horror movie with Yugi, Pan's Labyrinth Wall. The movie was beyond freaky, but it was a nice excuse to get close to Yugi. I was actually the one to suggest watching it, which surprised him. I've never really been one for frightening or spooky things but I wanted to try and become braver, or at least have it affect me less. I knew it was a movie too that Yugi wanted to see but held off because of me, so I wanted to give it a shot, just for him. He's always been such a great boyfriend to me that I wanted to try and do something sweet back.

Despite my resolve, I wasn't able to handle the movie well, especially since there was a part where I couldn't stop hanging onto Yugi because I was so frightened. As the credits rolled from the movie, I couldn't bring myself to let go of him. The two of us began to stare deep into each other's eyes, we were only inches away from each other. I felt something draw me closer to him. Closer and closer I got, until before I knew it, the two of us had our lips locked with one another. I closed my eyes and savoured the moment with him. When I pulled away, I noticed that The Pharaoh was there and not Yugi anymore!

I let out a squeal from shock and surprise, my face beat red from fluster. I was confused also, why was The Pharaoh there when it was Yugi just a second ago.

As it turns out, the exact moment when we kissed each other, the clock had struck midnight, which meant it was Saturday. The Pharaoh's always been rather technical and serious, and he took it that once the clock struck midnight that it would be alright for him to step in since it was technically Saturday, his day to be with me. This caused an internal struggle between him and Yugi, the two arguing and transforming back and forth because of the technicality. It eventually ended up that I had to leave because I couldn't deal with the two of them anymore and told them to figure it out for themselves.

If you ask me, they both have a case. Nowadays, people measure days by their sleep cycles so the new day doesn't start until they've woken up; and that's what Yugi was going by. However, once the clock does strike midnight, it is officially designated as the new day and that's what the Pharaoh was going by. But honestly, it didn't matter to me. I didn't want to take a side, and frankly, I just wanted the two to stop arguing and being upset with each other.

Which leads me to where we're at now, but as it turns out, the two appear that they haven't settled things yet and I was afraid I'd be caught in the middle once more. So far, it seems like Yugi was sticking to the schedule and allowing The Pharaoh to be with me on his scheduled day.

I sighed once more. "Well, at least you're here now, right?"

"Yes, that is true." The Pharaoh responded. "We might as well make the best of our time together."

"Yeah!"

* * *

The time we spent together after that, it was an understatement to say that it was the best. I'd say it was magical, soothing, and quite romantic. Our first stop after the diner was the park, where the two of us spent quality time together. There was a point where the swings were vacant and Pharaoh offered to push me. Of course, I enthusiastically accepted. I'll tell you, I had never swung that high in my life before. The Pharaoh was such a hard, but gentle pusher. Not only did it bring a smile to my face, but seeing me so happy made him smile as well.

Afterwards, we went to see the new movie, The Notebook of Eclipse. I've wanted to see it for ages, but haven't had the chance to until now. Believe it or not, The Pharaoh was actually the one to suggest it. He remembered that I had wanted to see it and offered to take me himself.

And that brings us to where we are now. Once the movie was out, the two of us went to the beach for a walk along the shore as the sun began to set. The two of us are hand in hand right now, enjoying our time together. I looked over at him, the sun illuminating his profile that made him look all the more handsome to me. I really felt happy being with him. He's been nothing but sweet and thoughtful to me this day. Usually, that's what Yugi's been like to while The Pharaoh has usually been reluctant, but suave around me. Perhaps he was finally starting to feel comfortable being out in a public setting where it doesn't involve dueling.

The thought of that being the reason why made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. When we first started dating, Yugi was always the one to suggest things and take me to do things that I wanted to do like shop. But with The Pharaoh, he was usually silent but always went along with what I had planned. At first I thought he didn't want to be with me after all, or that perhaps he was uncomfortable with the idea of Yugi also being involved with the relationship too, but this day has proved to me that that's not the case. He really did want to be with me, which made me happy.

I began to slow my pace until I was at a stop, causing him to pause in his walk too. My heart seemed to beat faster and faster the more time went on. I began to blush as I began to speak. "Pharaoh, I just wanted to say thank you for today. I really enjoyed my time with you."

"I feel the same way Tea." he replied as blush began to form on his face also. He looked away from slight embarrassment but I didn't mind. I placed my hand on his cheek and moved his head back in place, so the two of us would be gazing deep into each other's eyes once more. I felt that mystical force pushing me towards his head once more. Closer and closer I got, just inches away from his lips. I closed my eyes and waited for the moment where the two of us would connect.

I was upon him seconds later, but as soon as I was, my lips began to feel weird… and tingly, but not in a good way. What they were touching wasn't his lips, they were his… HAIR?!

I opened my eyes and my theory was correct. I was kissing his hair for some reason. I pushed away from him and began spatting out the loose strands that had made their way inside my mouth. I also tried to spit out the taste of hair gel that made itself home on my lips too. It tasted HORRIBLE!

"S-sorry about that Tea." a familiar voice said. Once I registered who it was, I looked back over and confirmed my suspicions. The Pharaoh wasn't here anymore, Yugi took his place!

"Oh, you've got to be KIDDING ME!" I screamed, feeling frustrated out of my mind. I let out a large explosive sigh to vent some of my anger and asked Yugi. "What happened Yugi?"

"Well, you see…" He began to trail off, looking away and scratching his head as he held his puzzle. He was reluctant to tell me the truth, but he didn't need to. His reaction was tell enough the reason why. I bent down and stared at him, right in the eye with a cold expression that sent shivers throughout his body. "You wanted to get back at The Pharaoh, didn't you?"

Repeating the same gestures as before, he replied. "Well, maybe."

I was about to scream once more from frustration, but held off. I grabbed my shoes, clutched my purse and began to walk away. "Call me when the two of you have settled this little feud of yours, alright?"

I began leaving the beach, but the closer I got to the mainland, the slower I got. I half expected one of them call out to me to stop me, but no one did. I peered behind me quickly and saw that Yugi was looking down at his feet, looking sullen. I wanted to turn around and apologize to him, to cheer him up but I couldn't bring myself to do it. As guilty as I felt for pulling this on them, I really was upset that the two of them are acting so immature.

* * *

I found myself on top of the city's landmark tower, looking out across the whole area. It was dark, so I couldn't see much except the lights of the businesses that were still open, the houses whose residents hadn't gone to bed yet, and the street lights that help the late night dwellers find their way home.

I let out a sigh, thinking about the current situation at hand. I realized something earlier that made me really upset to think about. Yugi and The Pharaoh weren't to blame for this mishap, it was me. When they both asked me out, I was too fearful to say anything to either of them. If I had told them which one I wanted to date, none of this would happen. The thing is, I didn't know which one of them I liked. I was in love with them both. I didn't want to be, but I can't help but feel this way about them.

They said that they would make things work, just for me and I was foolish enough to believe it. It was fine for a while, but now it's causing a stir between them and I feel responsible for that. If only I had just told the two of them no and make up my mind. I know I wouldn't be as happy with just one of them but at least I wouldn't be tearing apart a long-time friendship.

"May I join you?" a deep voice asked, catching me off guard. I turned and saw it was The Pharaoh. Without saying anything, I waved beside me to let him know his invitation was accepted. He leaned on the balcony like I was and stared out. The two of us were silent for a while, until I decided to say something. "How'd you know where I was?"

"We didn't. We knew you wanted to be somewhere where you could think so we tried a few different places until we came here."

"You didn't have to come you know."

"We know, but we were worried about you Tea." There was more silence for a while. "Tea… I'm sorry for what happened. Yugi's also sorry too."

"I'm the one who should be sorry."

"You have no need. I'm the one who started the whole thing, and Yugi's the one who continued it further."

"Yes, but I'm the source of the whole situation. This all wouldn't have happened if… if…"

"If you had chosen between us back then?"

"Yeah."

"Perhaps it wouldn't have. But Tea, you must realize that if Yugi and I would have had any qualms with the both of us dating you, we would've mentioned it long before now.

Before we asked you out, Yugi and I had a talk with each other. I was willing to let go of my feelings so that you and Yugi would be happy together. I knew how much he cared for you and didn't want to get in the middle of it. However, he sensed how strong they were and offered to make it work for the both of us, if you weren't able to choose. If you had chosen one of us, then we agreed not to have any hard feelings against the other. We both know you though and knew that that wouldn't be the case.

This whole situation that happened, that was the one thing that alluded from our minds so we didn't know how to handle it. Yes, it did cause a rift between us for a short while but after this experience, we know what to do now in case something like this ever happens again. It's just unfortunate that you were caught in the middle of it, and for that, we apologize."

I didn't say anything in response… I couldn't. I was still feeling guilty over the situation. I shouldn't have snapped at them like I did. Instead, I should have tried to help them overcome the situation, but I didn't. I was being selfish.

"S-still." I mumbled, trying to say something so it wouldn't be silent. I thought I would relate my recent thoughts so that I could try and begin to make things right to them. "I could've helped the two of you instead of storming off."

"We all make mistakes Tea. I think each of us handled the situation badly." I nodded in agreement. "If you're willing Tea, perhaps the three of us could sit down sometime soon and discuss things so that we could build a better and more communicative relationship between the three of us."

"Sure, I think that would be best."

And from then on, the relationship between The Pharaoh, Yugi, and I became a lot smoother. I'd be lying if I said that things were perfect, because they weren't. Problems and situations still arose that caused some strains, but it wasn't anything that we couldn't work out eventually.

As for the situation that started this whole ordeal, the three of us decided that if there's a date or anything that started the day before, the person who's residing in the body can finish it but if something new arises after midnight then the person who's scheduled for that day would be in charge. It was more than a fair compromise that satisfies both Yugi and The Pharaoh's way of thinking, and it also saves me from a surprise as well, should the clock strike midnight.

All in all, I was happy being with the two of them, and they both were happy being with me. As time went on though, there was one question that started nagging my mind and wouldn't leave.

Who would be the one that would propose to me?


End file.
